SPLICED LIFE /
ISSUE 05
GROOMING / FREEDOM HAIR
Short back
and sides
by Tim Hulme
Freedom Hair barber shop booming in retro revival
M
ost men remember visiting a
barber with their dad or granddad
when they were younger. I’ll
never forget that distinct sense
of manliness. It was a boys outing. The smell
of pomade, mixed with neck powders and fine
leather. No bookings. You arrived and waited
quietly until they were ready for you. Even as a
child I recognized it as a cool hang out for men,
with an instant familiarity as you walked in.
In the late 80’s and 90’s most of the traditional
barber shops went out of business. Barbers become
outdated and uncool, often retiring with no one to
take over, or just losing touch with the modern styles
and alienating all their old clientele. Men started
going to ‘unisex’ salons. TV screens on the wall
blaring the latest plastic pop. A constant bevy of
housewives coming through the door, I always felt
out of place.
Luckily, if somewhat accidentally, with the retro
revival came the resurgence of classic hair cuts.
There’s nothing a trendy hipster likes more than
things made with the hands, with the smell of
oil and wood to set the scene. Slowly but surely
barbershops became the very epitome of cool
again. Men rediscovered their manliness. And
not just men. Women looking for a crafted
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